Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Need a Worthy Family Task during the Summer Break?

A Note from Margaret Gorman, IHS Meal Packet Coordinator, Ivy, Virginia

Hard Working Teens We are in our summer lull for food donations from clubs and churches and eagerly wait for our friends to start up their assistance again. While we wait, perhaps you can put together a few meal packets and email us to come get them? Or, send us a cash donation so we can explore markets for the most reasonable purchases for assembly of meals. Each meal packet now costs from $5-$6.  After all, it is for a full day's nourishment for a patient or a family member coming from hundreds of miles without adequate funds to eat, while being treated at the UVA Medical Center. If you need to know more, visit our food program web page at  http://www.interfaithhumanitariansanctum.org/food.php

If you live in the Central Virginia area, at least not more than 60 miles from Charlottesville, an IHS representative is prepared to plan with you for a time and place to retrieve your supply.  If you are traveling into Fluvanna County  near Lake Monticello, IHS has an office (105 Crofton Plaza near the front gate) for food storage and full-day meal packet assembly sessions. Simply make a call or e-mail us and someone will work to collect your meal packets.

If you are coming to downtown Charlottesville, we  meet people to transfer from car to car deliveries in Barracks Road Shopping Center. Then we meet with contributors in Hot Cakes Restaurant (next to the CVS Pharmacy). Hot Cakes is one of  THE best caterers in Virginia, and a good friend of the charity. It's a  lovely little restaurant with excellent food.  

When a family member comes home, there is always time for some charitable activity

My son, Stuart Gorman, and I assembled 22 meal packets this past week. Our goal was 20 meals, but I miscounted a couple of items and some boxes had more than 20 units. Stuart sorted this out and it came out a little better. He also took a trip down memory lane while shopping for food items. He saw the small tubs of diced pears, a favorite school lunch box item when he was a child.

Stuart was home visiting from Dublin, Ireland, where he's pursuing a PhD in Medieval History. If anyone wants to know more about armor, castles and weapons of the 100 Years War of the 1400's, or if you need someone to come over to appraise your suit of armor or crossbow, please contact him through IHS. 

Keep in mind that IHS delivers from 100-125 full-day meal packets every two weeks to the UVA Office of Social Work for access by all social workers as needed in the hospital. For the first six months of 2012, IHS  has delivered 1,274 full-day meal packets. The majority of those meals have provided nourishment for parents in Pediatric Clinics who are here every day for weeks and even months while their child is being treated for a critical situation.

                                                                     Thanks for your consideration ... Margaret


4th of July Meal at HH a Big Hit

A Note from Mary Jackson, Supervisor, UVA Hospitality House

Hello To All. I just wanted to send a "Very Special Thank You" to everyone who helped with our July 4th cookout.  There was plenty of food and we still have leftovers. Due to the extreme heat we decided to serve inside.

Tom Bninski and I braved the heat and cooked hot dogs and hamburgers for approximately 24 guests. Our menu included hot dogs, burgers, baked beans, potato salad, macaroni salad, cole slaw, chips, watermelon,  drinks and pound cake. We also offered ice cream cones.

We could not have done this without the many donations that you provided.  Tom and I worked the day shift and enjoyed preparing and setting up for the meal. Marjorie Riddle our 3rd shift staff had everything in place, baked beans, cutting up all the onions, tomatoes, lettuce, watermelon, drink on ice by the time I arrived on Wednesday. Barbara Matysek our 2nd shift staff did cleanup and stored all the leftovers. It was truly an enjoyable time. Our guests were so excited and had a wonderful time chatting with staff and other guests.

I will be sending out Thank You notes to everyone involved. We asked all the guests to sign and we are working on catching up with some that did not. One special thanks to the Whole Foods Market, and specifically Kristen Rabourdin, Marketing Department for the generosity with providing the meats, buns, salad  and a case of organic lemonade drinks for this holiday gathering.

July 3rd was also weekly delivery day by Interfaith Humanitarian Sanctum (IHS), our only consistent provider of food supplies.  This delivery included all of the condiments and cold salads and veggies for rounding out a really delicious offering.  The weekly replenishment of food stock is vital to Hospitality House (HH), and the mostly indigent population who are here from great distances. IHS credits the opportunity to serve HH with the 2011 grant for 2012 which is dedicated to our food needs by Bama Works Fund of Dave Matthews Band in Charlottesville Area Community Foundation (CACF).   

God bless you all for sharing and caring. Your thoughtfulness was so appreciated.  Much love... Mary

Extra Notes from T. Wade Clegg III, President, IHS

Next Holiday Meal days at UVA Hospitality House

Mark your calendar!  Thanksgiving meal will be on November 22nd (Thursday); Christmas meal will be on December 25th( Tuesday).  If you would like to add a single item to the many which are needed for these holiday meals for those out patients who are here for continuing treatment , please call or e-mail IHS and we will provide ideas which can be used for the special meals, and can carryover for use following the holiday. Nothing goes to waste.  Whatever you or your group can contribute, we await that contact.

Full-day Meal Packet Program can use Your support

With school out for another two months, the full-day meal program is being sustained with purchases of food items and meal-making by the IHS staff.  If any local church, school, business, day school, club, scout troops, or individual families would like to add to our supplies,  we would be very appreciative. Each meal purchased and made by staff diminishes total funds;  therefore, it is those donations of meal packets by various groups which allow for funds to be held to sustain all programs. Review the link for guidance and let us know if you or your organization can assist in these out of school months especially.  Each full-day meal packet takes from $5-$7 for a truly solid packet. Monetary contributions can be dedicated to the Food Account, the Pediatric Support Account or the General account, which supports lodging, prescriptions, co-pay and other unmet needs.  

Many thanks ...  T. Wade